Don’t mess with Pesto

I don’t pretend to be a good cook, but there are a few meals that I do right. And pesto is one of them. Mine is kick-ass. That’s why we eat it weekly in the summer and usually just serve it straight up on pasta. I’ve never been one to experiment with add-ins or toppings, because as the old adage goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, when we went to St. Louis’ new vegetarian restaurant and whiskey bar (yes, you read that combo correctly), Small Batch, I was inspired to branch out and try their pesto. It’s conventional with basil but had some crazy toppings. And well, it was amazing. Soo amazing, that I was inspired to recreate it for my family later that week. My concoction is below. Please note, this is not Small Batch’s recipe, but rather my interpretation of it. Theirs was good…but mine was too. So here’s what I made: